TMS - A Brother and His Sister - Once Upon a Time
by The Midnight Shadows
Summary: On an island off the coast of the Enchanted Forest, there were many mysteries. A one-handed pirate-at-heart and a former Evil Queen - both on similar paths to finding happiness and lost family members. A deep connection binds them together in a way they are yet to understand. WARNING: May be a couple of spoilers from later seasons, but none detailed.
1. Chapter 1

**Many years ago, in the Enchanted Forest's brick village district, Maddoxville...**

A young woman walked along the docks, holding her toddler on her hip. Her long moss-green cloak dragged behind her. When she put her boy down, she removed her hood to reveal short sandy curls. She waved off her husband, as he got on-board the Burning Serpent ship.

"Liam, say goodbye to Daddy" she said softly, as the boy reached out toward his father.

"Papa! Papa?" he cried. The man didn't even turn back, which halted the boy's tears. The woman frowned, as she saw the sadness and confusion on her son's face. She picked him back up and used the sleeve of her blouse to wipe his face.

"Oh, my sweet boy. I promise it won't always be like this." As she walked along the cobbled streets and into their tavern, she pondered how lonely she felt. She used her foot to close the door, walked behind the bar and through an old cloth curtain, into their bedroom. She laid her boy on their bed and tucked him in, then went back to the bar to serve customers.

She waited tables, clearing old mugs and cleaning up spills. Most of the customers were already drunk and rowdy, several of them whistling at her or slapping her rear end. She was uncomfortable, but they were regulars and her husband was never around, so it was almost pleasant to get the attention. When she returned to the bar, a hooded stranger entered and sat in front of her. He was dressed in peasants' clothing, but there was an air about him that seemed almost regal.

"Good evening, Sir. What can I get ya?" she plastered a smile across her face, though it became genuine once the stranger looked up at her. He had kind eyes and seemed like a gentle soul, something she seldom encountered.

"Rum, please, M'Lady" he replied, placing some coins on the counter.

"Of course, Sir." She poured him some rum in a wooden cup. As she pushed it towards him and he reached to hold it, their hands touched. She smiled coyly, whilst he just gazed into her eyes. "I'm Alice" she said quietly.

"I'm Pri-" he stopped himself and his eyes widened. "I'm Henry" he said, relaxing again. Alice had a puzzled look on her face, but she didn't want to pry – not yet, anyway.

"Nice to meet you, Henry."


	2. Chapter 2

**Present Day on the Island of Eden...**

Her loose brown curls framed her face beautifully. Her smile made everyone feel at ease, but it could also strike fear into anyone she wished, with the slightest change in expression. She poured drinks with a flare that couldn't be found anywhere else in Eden, adding a magic touch to each. The one thing she longed for more than anything was family. She had a son, but he had grown up, had a family of his own and lived in a completely different world, rarely using a portal to visit her.

Her closest friend was a one handed former pirate. They had a complicated history and the number of times they'd had their memories erased meant they had several different, conflicting memories of their encounters – none were anything more than platonic, but there had always been a mysterious bond that seemed to be deeply hidden in their subconscious. Even when their fake reality caused them to despise each other, there was something that always stopped them from causing each other permanent damage, but they couldn't figure out what. Every conflict during their cursed lives could escalate to a gruesome battle, if they were so inclined, and many did – yet there was never any lasting damage and not for lack of trying.

They were rather similar too. They both had kind hearts that could fairly easily be outweighed by their often fiery tempers. They battled their dark sides to be good people, but it hadn't always been easy. They had both done evil things in their pasts, mostly before the first curse, which belonged to the lady behind the bar – at least in part, as she hadn't realised she was carrying out the selfish plans of a powerful and manipulative imp, known as Rumplestiltskin.

Due to the many curses and realms they'd been exposed to, their lives were complex and muddled. The lady had come to terms with sharing her son with his birth mother and even becoming a part of the family she had previously been desperate to destroy to satisfy her desire for vengeance. She had also fought her dark side and won, in a very literal sense, even ripping out her own heart to help her evil half find contentment with a somewhat-reformed thief she had once lost. Due to the countless losses she had suffered, she truly believed she may never find happiness because of her history as a villain. 

The man with the hook, however, was one of two clones of a well-known captain who was married to a saviour. Oddly enough, like his Wish Realm clone, he was on a mission to find a daughter he'd never known – though the other clone had found his in a place called Hyperion Heights. He was unaware of her mother or her, until peculiar clues from a fairy led him to discover that she existed. He didn't even know her name. The original captain of the infamous Jolly Roger had been in love twice, yet this clone had never been in love with anyone or anything but freedom and the open seas, which is why he was rather shocked to find out that he was a father. He wanted nothing more than to find his child, but these hints only informed him that he had a daughter, not who her mother was or even the year she'd been conceived. He had once been a Casanova with the ladies in Eden but, with the number of times he'd had alternate cursed lives and involuntary memory loss, he had very little hope of recalling likely situations.

Eden was an island next to the Enchanted Forest. Half of the island was a blast from the past, with cottages and cobbled paths, taverns and pirate ships at the dock. On the other side of the island, it was very modern, with parks and playgrounds, mansions and apartments. The clothing and lifestyles were polar opposites too, with the Old Town communities wearing clothes that fitted the era in which modernisation had frozen centuries ago and the people in the City wore clothes from the last couple of decades.

Every month, there would be a market in the Old Town to keep their economy stabilised, but people from either side could visit any day of the year – though the folks from the Old Town were generally quite wary of the City and rarely crossed the border.

"Regina, rum on the rocks with a little magic – a Roni's special" the man said.

"Coming right up, Killian" she replied. They smiled at each other.


	3. Chapter 3

The bar was almost empty on Thursdays, aside from a couple of workers on their lunch break. Killian walked in, dressed as a pirate again. Regina laughed. He walked over to the bar.

"Cut it out. One must commit when sailing the Jolly Roger, Luv."

"Well, I promise I'll commit next time I board your ship."

"Funny you should say that, Dearie." Regina and Killian looked around to find who had spoken. "Over here" the voice called from the bathroom. The voice called the same again from the apartment above, then once more from the broom cupboard.

"Come out, Crocodile."

"Now, now, Pirate. That's no way to speak to someone who can help you." The short, scaly man emerged from the shadows in a corner of the bar.

"Rumplestiltskin" Regina said scowling.

"What is your business here, Beast?"

"I've come to offer you a deal, but what can you offer me in return?" He had a high-pitched menacing giggle that sent shivers up the spines of anyone who heard it. He took pride in his deals and craved unlimited power.

"After all Belle did for you and you go back to this? What about Baelfire's sacrifice?" Rumplestiltskin disappeared and reappeared in the blink of an eye, with his hands clasped around Killian's neck. The few who were having their lunch got up and left immediately. Killian's face was turning a blue-purple hue.

"Hey. Hey!" Regina shouted, vanishing in a puff of violet-amethyst smoke and appearing behind the imp, with a dagger in front of his neck. "Let him go."

"Don't cross me, Your Majesty." He stared at Killian, whose feet were off the floor, due to Rumple's magic taking over.

"You want a deal? I'll give you one, but not if you kill him. Let him go - now!"

"Fine." He released his grip and dropped Killian to his knees, gasping for air. "I'll be back later to discuss our deal." He blinked out of the building. Killian gradually stood up and leaned on the bar, pulling himself up on to a stool. Regina started cleaning up the table where the customers had been.

"Thank you, Luv" Killian stammered, rubbing his throat. "Do you think he knows?"

"What doesn't he know? We need him, though, and he'll dangle that in front of us until we give him what he wants." She waved her hand and the plates cleaned themselves in the butler sink. "It's going to be something heroes don't do, or it wouldn't be worth it to him."

"I need to find her, Regina. I don't have a choice." She nodded to him, as she put away the utensils. He sighed and dropped his head onto the counter. "Ouch." She pulled a cushion out from the stock cupboard, lifted his head and put the cushion under it.

She grabbed a pint mug from the glass shelf behind her, but an emerald liquid came out of the drink nozzle. Killian glanced up, spotted it and had a puzzled expression. Regina pushed it towards him.

"Drink it and it will help you remember the women you've been with. Maybe one will stand out?"

"How am I supposed to know, if I don't know how old my child is or where she's from?" Regina shrugged sympathetically and tilted her head.

"I'm sorry; it's all I've got." Killian nodded and drank the liquid in a few gulps. Within seconds, he passed out.


	4. Chapter 4

A tall blonde. A short brunette. A plump redhead. A busty brunette. A freckled blonde. A woman with an eye patch. A woman with a wooden leg. A woman with pale, peachy skin. Another with a rich, smoky quartz skin tone. A teacher. A maid. A healer. A saviour. A fairy.

Visions of several women flashed before his eyes. His eyelids flickered as he saw miniscule recaps of his past encounters – some longer than others. He started convulsing.

"Killian?" Regina ran round the bar to catch him as he slid off the stool. She lowered him on to the slate tiles and held his head on her lap. "Killian?!" She conjured a damp cloth and laid it across his forehead, then a small tub of bubbling mustard-yellow slime materialised next to her. Holding her left hand over it, she closed her eyes and muttered something under her breath. It turned a murky grey and she wafted it under his nose.

Once she placed it back down, she waited for the potent smell to take effect. The convulsing slowed to a twitch and, seconds later, he started coughing and spluttering, jolting into a seated position. She rubbed his back, as she did when Henry was unwell. There were scratches on the tiles from Killian's hook.

"Roni?" he whispered.

"Not quite. Are you okay?" He mumbled. "What did you see? What do you remember?"

"I –" he paused. "They-" She offered him a glass of water, which he sipped. "Regina, they aren't all my memories."

"What do you mean?"

"Some of the women are from the other versions of me, I suppose. It felt like I was reliving someone else's experiences – some of them, anyway. They're in my head, but they aren't mine."

"Any stand out? We can rule out any you weren't involved with and go from there. If you have any side effects of that potion, though, come see me?"

"Of course, Luv." He stood up with her help, but it was clear he was unsteady on his feet. She flimsily waved her hand around her - the doors and windows locked themselves, the cutlery hopped into the drawers, the plates and mugs flew into the cupboards and on to the shelves, three wet sponges zoomed around the room, cleaning one table after another and the chairs scooted themselves under each.

In a puff of smoke, holding Killian up, they disappeared.


	5. Chapter 5

A subtle sweet smell was carried on the warm breeze. The grass was soft and the blankets were scratchy. The leaves rustled in the wind, while squirrels scuttled along the forest floor, gathering nuts and berries.

Regina contorted her face, slowly opening her eyes, but the sun shone brightly in her face. She raised her arm to shade herself and saw a small-statured, pregnant woman lean in close to her.

"I'm sorry, but this will sting." Regina winced as the woman poured a herb-infused liquid on to a burn on her shoulder. "How does one find themselves alone in the woods?"

"The woods? What woods? The Enchanted Forest?" The woman chuckled to herself.

"No, no. The Enchanted Forest is across the Stone Bridge and stormy seas. We're in the Silverbell Woods on the Island of Eden. I was visiting from Maddoxville, when I rather literally stumbled across you, unconscious, surrounded by a plethora of bluebells. I was due to set up camp, so I thought here was as good a place as any."

Regina sat up slowly and took a closer look at the woman. She had pale blue eyes, with flecks of green and grey. Elven ears were poking through sandy curls that were loosely tied back with ribbons. The woman noticed Regina staring.

"I'm a non-magical halfling, so I try to keep my tells hidden." Regina raised an eyebrow in bewilderment. "My ears and my freckles." Regina's expression didn't change. "Well, my ears are a sign of elf blood and my freckles glow in moonlight. Some would think I am of value, but I am worthless to elf hunters and merchants."

"Right, well I shan't keep you. Have you any knowledge of a pirate with a hook?" The woman shook her head.

"My apologies; I have never heard of such a man. You do not fear him?"

"After many years and a fair few battles, we reached a truce quite some time ago and have become good friends. I don't know how I arrived here, but I was with him merely minutes ago." The woman looked uncomfortable, so she began folding cloths and blankets.

"You've been here for some time. The sun has risen to noon and begun it's descent since I found you."

Regina was stunned. She stood up and left the tent in a frustrated manner. The woman continued to tidy her shelter, throwing out bloodied water and hanging her wet shawl over a tree branch to dry. She was hesitant to comfort the stranger, as she had noticed the tiny remains of darkness in her eyes and didn't want to provoke her.

Regina glanced around; frantically looking for Killian, then looked down at herself. She was wearing a long coffee-coloured skirt, a matching embroidered bodice, a white cotton shirt and a deep admiral-blue cloak. She turned to the woman who had helped her.

"How do I get to the Stone Bridge?"

"It's quite a way. If you walk two miles in the direction of that mountain, you'll come across a well-travelled road that many peddlers use. I'm sure one of them can give you a ride to the bridge, as they often stop at the docks, near where the bridge begins." The woman gave her a small woven basket with a bread roll and an apple in it, with a cloth covering them. Regina began her journey after thanking the lady and shaking her hand.


	6. Chapter 6

Regina trudged through the woods, leaves crunched under her feet and twigs broke as she stepped on them. She hiked up her long skirt to avoid it tearing on fallen branches. As she walked, she came across several patches of forest floor that were hidden by what she assumed were Silverbell flowers, as they resembled white foxgloves, only the milky petals glistened like they were sprinkled with fairy dust.

After an hour, she had reached the dirt road her healer had told her about. There was a carriage in the distance, but she had no idea which way the bridge was located. Whilst waiting for the carriage to reach her, she peeked at her wound, gently peeling back the cloth and wincing at how sore it was.

"Are you alright, M'Lady? Are you lost?" the man asked, poking his head through the window, whilst the coachman stopped the horses. Regina continued looking at her wound. "My, I can see you're injured. Where are you headed?"

Without looking up, Regina frowned. _I know that voice._ She dismissed her thoughts, until she saw the crest on the door. Her eyes widened. _It can't be, surely?_ Whilst using her cloak to subtly cover her face, she peered up to look at the man.

"My God" she exclaimed, dropping her cloak from her face. The man was taken back by her outburst. "I'm sorry, Da-" she paused and quickly corrected herself, "Sir. I was just very surprised to see you. I'm heading to the Enchanted Forest."

"Would you care to join me? It's not safe for a lady to be travelling alone." Regina nodded, not sure how to decline without being seen as rude. He opened the door and the coachman helped her in, then climbed back into his seat.

As the carriage pulled away, it occurred to Regina that she must have gone back in time. It was the only explanation for her current predicament – sharing a carriage with her deceased father.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Regina." As soon as she said it, she straightened her skirt awkwardly, knowing it was a mistake to reveal her identity. "My name is Regina... Jones." The man smiled.

"Wonderful! I have a small daughter with that lovely name."

"I'm sure you are a kind, supportive father to her."

"She is the apple of my eye. I only hope I can keep her grounded, despite the darker influences in her life." Regina looked at him sympathetically, feeling guilty for the past she knows and the future waiting for him.

"I hope I'm not crossing any boundaries, Sir, but I've battled with my fair share of darkness and I had an incredible father. Please do not blame yourself for decisions your child makes when she is older. You can only do your best to guide her and hope that she will someday make you proud."

"I believe she will. She is an innocent babe with a good heart, who will undoubtedly grow up to be an amazing, generous queen and leader."

A tear rolled down Regina's cheek, which she hid from her father. They continued conversing about various things, from the royal families to the many realms and communities. After two-and-a-half hours, they crossed the cobbled Stone Bridge and entered the Enchanted Forest, also known as Misthaven.

"Where would you like us to take you?"

"I'm not sure. I need to find a man who makes deals, so I can find my friend. Do you know where I can find him?"

"You're not from here, are you?"

"Not yet" she muttered. "Things are just a little different than I remember."

"His castle is rather far from here, but summoning him usually works, as he preys on people who need his help. Are you sure I can't help you find your friend?"

"I appreciate that, Sir, but I can't inconvenience you any further." She politely declined, knowing that spending more time with her father could affect the future and it was painful for her to know she was with him, but he didn't know who she really was. She thanked him one more time, picked up her basket and stepped out of the carriage, in front of the docks. He nodded his head towards her, with a warm smile on his face and wished her luck.


	7. Chapter 7

Regina looked at the row of taverns and shops. _Wow, where's Swan when you need her?_ She was tempted to use "eenie meenie miney mo" to figure out her best chance at finding Killian or Rumplestiltskin. She wandered along the street, peering in at customers and sellers. She didn't remember much of this, as her mother rarely let her visit the grounds where the commoners roamed. _I'd settle for the Charmings!_

Something caught her eye. She was sure she saw something dart behind a market stall. The creature seemed to vanish, then appear behind another stall. She craned her neck to try to follow the figure, but it was too quick. She hurried towards where she last saw it, but tried not to stand out. She spotted a glow on one of the creature's limbs, perhaps a reflection from the sunset. She followed it into an alley, then heard and unmistakable giggle.

"Miss me, Dearie?" The scaly man appeared from the darkness.

"You! What do you want?" She wasn't sure how much to divulge, as this imp was known for using anyone's vulnerability as a tool for manipulation.

"Well, I suppose I was just minding my own business, after returning from a hard deal – for them, not for me – and I found a present in my dungeon. I'm not sure who put said gift there, but my guess would be I did."

"You've lost me." The way he spoke made Regina's skin crawl. There was something almost slimy about his presence.

"Now, now – that's a lie. I may not know how you got here or who the pirate is, but I know you're not from this time and that the one-handed sea rat is somehow an important part of my future."

"Wait a minute. That doesn't make sense. _You_ don't make sense. If I'm only a young child in this time, Killian isn't even born. Your wife, Milah – you turned all Dark One after she left you for him, which she can't have done yet. That means you're not from this time either because you have powers."

The man fell silent. He had a look of annoyance on his face, twiddling his fingers in a creepy manner, trying to hide that she had caught on to his deceit.

"Sure, sure. I'm a fairly new arrival to this era and won't be staying long, but my memory is a wee bit... how shall I put it? Gappy" he chortled. "I am a young man, in this time. No boy. No wife. No powers. Just coward. I had finally freed my castle of it's... previous inhabitants, then your hook-for-a-hand friend showed up." With every other word, he hopped about and made odd hand gestures.

"You – or _one_ of you – hijacked my teleportation, sending us back here. Why?" she snarled.

"Well, I can only speak for myself - I hardly have all the answers" he said sarcastically. She quickly developed a glint of anger in her eyes, the same one she used to get before plotting her revenge as the Evil Queen. He backed up as she leaned in. "Now, now." He waved his hands and they disappeared, reappearing in the grand hall entrance of his castle.

"You may be the Dark One, but I will squash you like the cockroach you are, if you keep playing games. Give me Hook and I'll leave you to your... collection" she scowled, looking around at the antiques and souvenirs from his deals. For a moment, he pondered what he should ask for in return, and then thought better of incurring her wrath.

"I'm sorry to disappoint, Your Majesty, but I don't have much use for unconscious buccaneers. He's no longer on my estate. I must also inform you that I am unaware of his current whereabouts or state of health." Regina threw her hands up in frustration, partially turning away. "Look, I can see this is somewhat distressing for you, Dearie, so perhaps I can help?"

He held out his hand, palm up and a ball of lime green light rose from it. Regina squinted to see what was forming. The light descended back into Rumplestiltskin's hand, leaving a vibrant blue lapis lazuli gemstone in its place.

"The hotter it gets, the closer you are – once you get it enchanted by the fairies, of course. I'm giving you the vessel; you must find the wind for the sails."

"The fairies?"

"The fairies" he repeated.


End file.
